Del. Chris Hurst, D-Blacksburg, who is running for a third term on Tuesday's ballot, was stopped in Radford Monday night after a companion was seen "turning over, bending over" campaign signs, said Radford Sheriff Mark Armentrout, a Republican who is himself running for re-election.
The sheriff said that the delegate was given a “notification” that he was driving with a suspended license – but a Radford city spokeswoman said later Monday that no citation were issued.
The city has referred the matter to the Virginia State Police, a statement from a Radford spokeswoman said.
Hurst did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
On Hurst's Twitter feed, where he posted that he was "spending the morning talking with voters," commenters alternately defended and mocked him, with some criticizing Armentrout for a political attack and others urging readers to hide their signs from the delegate.
Hurst represents the 12th District, which covers Radford, Giles County, and parts of Montgomery and Pulaski counties. He is running against Republican Jason Ballard.
Speaking Tuesday, Armentrout – who has been sheriff for 18 years and has no opposition on Tuesday's ballot – said that on Monday night, a Radford deputy saw a woman doing something with campaign signs outside the city recreation center, a polling location. She got into a vehicle and the deputy called city police, who then stopped the vehicle, Armentrout said.
Hurst was driving, and his passenger was Emily Frentress, Armentrout said.
Hurst's license was found to be suspended, Armentrout said. The sheriff said that he was not sure what caused Hurst's license to be suspended.
Like other Radford constitutional officers on Tuesday’s ballot, Armentrout has no party affiliation listed. He said Tuesday that he is a Republican.
A statement released by Radford city Director of Communications Jenni Goodman differed slightly from Armentrout’s account. It said that at about 9:24 p.m., a city sheriff's deputy reported possible vandalism to the city police department.
Goodman’s statement said that the deputy initiated a traffic stop and asked for assistance. The statement does not identify the people stopped.
The city police officer observed some damage to signs, according to the statement. The statement does not reference any other details about the signs.
The statement said that at the request of Radford Police Chief Jeff Dodson, the matter was turned over to the state police.
Asked if either Hurst or Frentress was cited for a traffic violation or charged with a crime, Goodman wrote in an email, “There were no citations issued from the Radford City Police Department to the occupants of the vehicle.”
Radford court listings or others searched electronically in the state show no recent traffic citation or other charge against Hurst that would prompt a license suspension. Courts are closed for Election Day.
Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller wrote in an email that she could say nothing about the matter.
“Because your inquiry concerns an elected official, I am not able to comment. VSP can only investigate an elected official at the authorization of an elected official. Per their guidance, any inquiry related to any investigation of any elected official...VSP can't make a comment,” Geller wrote.
Geller referenced a section of the Virginia Code that says that the governor, attorney general, or a grand jury has to request an investigation into whether an elected official committed a criminal violation.
Ballard issued a statement Tuesday morning:
"I am deeply disappointed that Chris Hurst has decided to end his campaign in such a reckless way. His latest misstep is yet another reason why he doesn't deserve another term as Delegate. I, on the other hand, will remain laser focused on the issues that matter most to the people of the 12th District. I will always strive to set a good and positive example for my children and the fine people of the New River Valley."
Last year, Hurst was pulled over in Christiansburg after the car he was driving swerved. Hurst blew a 0.085 percent on a blood-alcohol level field test, above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. His eyes were red, he smelled of alcohol and he struggled with a "walk and turn" test, police said at the time.
But Hurst passed other field tests during the Jan. 26 incident and was released with an instruction to let his girlfriend drive, and that the couple should go to the Christiansburg Walmart and sit for awhile before continuing toward Hurst's home in Blacksburg.
Field breath tests are not admissible in court and police said that Hurst's blood-alcohol level was so close to the limit that by the time he could be taken to a magistrate's office for an admissible test, it would likely be below the threshold.
